Needle bar drive for warp knitting machine

ABSTRACT

A drive for imparting to a warp knitting machine needle bar a compound motion including a vertically reciprocating component and a substantially horizontal swinging component comprises a control lever rising from a fulcrum. The needle bar is mounted on the outer end of a first control lever arm. A vertically reciprocable push-rod is linked to the control lever fulcrum and a bell-crank lever is linked to the outer end of the second control lever arm, another push-rod rocking the bell-crank lever.

United States Patent [191 Kohl ,[ NEEDLE BAR DRIVE FOR WARP KNITTINGMACHINE [76] Inventor: Karl Kohl, 10 Chlorodontstrasse,

Obettshausen, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 6, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 204,933

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 7, 1970 Germany P 20 60101.8

[52] US. Cl. 66/86 [51] Int. Cl D04b 23/00 [58] Field of Search..66/83-87 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,063,273 [1/1962Kohl 66/88 [451 Aug. 28, 1973 10/1966 Kohl 66/86 9/1972 Esperson 74/47Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney-Kurt Kelman [5 7] ABSTRACT Adrive for imparting to a warp knitting machine needle bar a compoundmotion including a vertically reciprocating component and asubstantially horizontal swinging component comprises a control leverrising from a fulcrum. The needle bar is mounted on the outer end of afirst control lever arm. A vertically reciprocable push-rod is linked tothe control lever fulcrum and a bell-crank lever is linked to the outerend of the second control lever arm, another push-rod rocking thebell-crank lever.

2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure Patented Aug. 28, 1973 As is known in theoperation of warp knitting machines, the vertically reciprocatingknitting needles must stand still during each cycle when the needles arein cooperating relation adjacent the yarn guides. This interruption ofthe reciprocating motion must be con trolled by a suitable constructionof the drive, for instance the shape of the cam in the eccentric drivewhich controls all the machine movements. This causes structural as wellas kinetic difficulties.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome thesedifficulties and to, provide a simple needle bar drive.

The above and other objects are accomplished in accordance withv theinvention with a drive which com:-

prises a control lever having afirst arm and a second dle bar is linkedto theouter end of'the-secondcontrol lever arm, this means includinganother reciprocable push-rod.

In the illustrated embodiment, the-latter means comprises a bell-cranklever having two arms and a fixed fulcrum about which the bell-crank.lever arms are arranged to pivot, one end of one of the arms beinglinked to the outer end of-the second control lever arm and one end ofthe other bell-crank lever' arm being linked to the other push-rod. Thebell-crank lever extends substantially in the same plane as the controllever or in an adjacent plane parallel thereto, the fixed fulcrum beingperpendicular thereto.

With such a drive, the components ofthe compound needle bar motion maybe so coordinated that nofurther means or special shaping of the cams ofthe machine cam drive are required to interrupt the needle bar motionduring each cycle. The motion transmitting mechanism of the presentinvention is exceedingly simple. During the vertical upwardmotion' ofthe needle bar, when the needles have 'reached'the yarn laying po-'sition, this motionis continued by the movement of the one push-rodwhich vertically reciprocatesthe control lever but thisupward motion oftheneedlebar is neutralized by the fact that the simultaneouslyefi'ected' rocking of the needle bar moves the needles down by about thesame distance so that, in effect, the needles remain at the samehorizontal level.

The special arrangement of the needle bar drive according to thisinvention may also be utilized for driving the guide bar assembly of themachine. This is done by linking a third push-rod to the bell-cranklever, this push-rod being suitably coupled to the yarn guide barassembly for actuating the movement thereof during the knitting cycle.

The needle. bar mechanism and guide bar assembly mechanism with theireccentric drive for imparting the required knitting cycle motionsthereto are well known, the push-rods for the drives being actuatedthrough the medium of an eccentric by a main shaft rotating at uniformspeed, as shown, for instance, on pages 16 and 26 of Warp KnittingTechnology by Dr. F. Paling, Columbine Press, Manchester & London,England, 2nd Edition, 1965.

A specific embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter inconjunction with the single FIG- URE of the accompanying drawingschematically showing the essential parts of a drive according to thisinvention.

The drawing illustrates a control lever 2 having a first arm 4 and asecond arm 6, the arms rising from a fulcrum 3 of the lever andenclosing an angle with each other. In other words, the fulcurm of therocking lever 2 is at the lowest point of the lever. The needle bar 1,in whose lead the knitting needles 5 are embedded, is mounted on theouter end of first control lever arm 4.

A push-rod 10 is linked to control lever fulcrum 3 for imparting avertically reciprocating motion component to the lever, and thus to theneedle bar, the vertical reciprocation of push-rod 10 being effected ina well known manner by an eccentric drive, such as shown on page 16 ofPaling, mentioned hereinabove.

A means for imparting a swinging motion component to the needle bar islinked to the outer end of the second control lever arm 7 and includesanother push-rod 7'vertically reciprocated in a like manner. In theillustrated embodiment, this means comprisesa bell-crank lever 8. Oneend of one of the bell-crank lever arms is linked to the outer end ofcontrol lever arm 6 while one end ofthe other bell-crank lever arm islinked to pushrod 7, thetwo bell-crank lever arms being arranged topivot about fixed fulcrum 9 so that the vertical reciprocation ofpushrod 7 is translated into a rocking motion of control lever 2.

As the two push-rods are cyclically reciprocated, the reciprocation ofpush-rod 10 will cause the knitting needles to be moved up and down inthe direction of arrow 1 1 while they are swung in the direction ofarrow 12. These two motion components are so correlated that the needlesmove substantially in the direction of arrow 13 in the yarn layingposition of the needles adjacent the yam guides. In other words, theneedles undergo no vertical motion at this stage of the knitting cyclewithout the necessity of giving any special shape to the cam of theeccentric drive (not shown) for this purpose.

In the embodiment herein shown, a third push-rod 15 is linked to the arm14 of the intermediate or transmission lever 8. This pu'sh-rod issuitably coupledto the guide bar assembly 16 of the warp knittingmachine to actuate the swinging movement of this assembly during theknitting cycles, the swinging mechanism per se being well known, asshown, for instance, on pages 24 M26 ofPaling, mentioned hereinabove.

The vertical reciprocating motion component and swinging motioncomponents are so coordinated and correlated that they combine at thepoint where the knitting needles are in the yarn laying positionadjacent the yarn guides so that the needles stand virtually still inthe vertical direction at this point.

I claim:

I. A drive in a warp knitting machine for moving a guide bar assemblyand a needle bar carrying knitting needles of the machine through thestages of a knitting 3 4 cycle, including a yarn laying stage whereinthe knitting the guide bar assembly for actuating the knitting needlesremain substantially motionless, the drive comcycle movement thereof inresponse to the recipro- Prising cation of the second push-rod, and

a comfol lever having two ends and a fulcrum 6. the reciprocation of thepush-rods imparting the termedate the lever ends 5 verticallyreciprocating and the swinging motion 2. the needle bar being mounted onone of the lever components to the needle bar being so coordinated 3 21:vertican rgci h d r k d and correlated that the needles remain substanypmea e pus to m e to tially motionless in the yarn laying stage of theknitthe control lever fulcrum for imparting a vertically g cyclereciprocating motion component to the needle bar, 10

4. asecond reciprocable push-rod linked to the oppo- The dnve chumfurther compnsmg a bell Site control lever end for imparting a swingingcrank lever having two arms and a fixed fulcrum about tion component tothe neede bar by Swinging the which the bell-crank lever arms arearranged to pivot,

one end of one of the bell-crank lever arms being lever about thefulcrum, the f l being disposed below a Straight line linked to theopposite end of the control lever, and one end of the other bell-cranklever arm being linked to extending from the needles to the oppositecontrol lever end, the second push-rod.

5. a transmission between the second push-rod and

1. A drive in a warp knitting machine for moving a guide bar assemblyand a needle bar carrying knitting needles of the machine through thestages of a knitting cycle, including a yarn laying stage wherein theknitting needles remain substantially motionless, the drivecomprising
 1. a control lever having two ends and a fulcrum intermediatethe lever ends,
 2. the needle bar being mounted on one of the leverends,
 3. a first vertically reciprocable puSh-rod linked to the controllever fulcrum for imparting a vertically reciprocating motion componentto the needle bar,
 4. a second reciprocable push-rod linked to theopposite control lever end for imparting a swinging motion component tothe needle bar by swinging the lever about the fulcrum, a. the fulcrumbeing disposed below a straight line extending from the needles to theopposite control lever end,
 5. a transmission between the secondpush-rod and the guide bar assembly for actuating the knitting cyclemovement thereof in response to the reciprocation of the secondpush-rod, and
 6. the reciprocation of the push-rods imparting thevertically reciprocating and the swinging motion components to theneedle bar being so coordinated and correlated that the needles remainsubstantially motionless in the yarn laying stage of the knitting cycle.2. the needle bar being mounted on one of the lever ends,
 2. The driveof claim 1, further comprising a bell-crank lever having two arms and afixed fulcrum about which the bell-crank lever arms are arranged topivot, one end of one of the bell-crank lever arms being linked to theopposite end of the control lever, and one end of the other bell-cranklever arm being linked to the second push-rod.
 3. a first verticallyreciprocable puSh-rod linked to the control lever fulcrum for impartinga vertically reciprocating motion component to the needle bar,
 4. asecond reciprocable push-rod linked to the opposite control lever endfor imparting a swinging motion component to the needle bar by swingingthe lever about the fulcrum, a. the fulcrum being disposed below astraight line extending from the needles to the opposite control leverend,
 5. a transmission between the second push-rod and the guide barassembly for actuating the knitting cycle movement thereof in responseto the reciprocation of the second push-rod, and
 6. the reciprocation ofthe push-rods imparting the vertically reciprocating and the swingingmotion components to the needle bar being so coordinated and correlatedthat the needles remain substantially motionless in the yarn layingstage of the knitting cycle.